It only happens once a year. Don’t miss it!
We’ll be serving up free vegan pancakes and coffee. You’re invited to bring a vegan breakfast dish and join in the fun.
Bring friends! It’s a great opportunity to show others how awesome vegan food can be.
We could use a few more volunteers for this event. Check out the volunteer positions available and email me at unny@exploreveg.org if you’re interested in helping out.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
We’ve just published the second issue of our annual 12-page magazine, Twin Cities Veg Living. Grab your copy at any one of our upcoming events or read it online.
This year’s edition features lots of fun articles, including plant-based nutrition “mythbusters,” a guide to the best vegan pizza in Minnesota, and a recipe for Chedda-Jalapeño Muffins. Big thanks to all the volunteers who made this happen!
Our 2016 Annual Banquet was also something to cheer about. We’ve just assembled the photos from the event in a slideshow on our website. Check it out and take a look at all the good memories that were made. Here’s to the future and to all the great work that we can do for animals in the years to come!
Here’s one more upcoming event to put on your radar: our Camping Trip to William O’Brian State Park, Friday, May 20 through Sunday, May 22. Join us for the entire weekend of compassionate camping or just stop by one fun group activity on Saturday afternoon.
For the entire weekend of camping, registration is $25 and covers the cost five vegan meals and the campsite fee. This event is limited to 35 attendees. Register now to save a spot and invite your friends using the Facebook event page.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Thanks to everyone who joined us for our Annual Banquet on Saturday. This sold-out event was brimming with enthusiasm. What a great way to celebrate 18 years of advocating for animals! I’m so proud of all that our community has achieved and look forward with hope at continuing to make this world a better place for the animals.
You can add one more event to our list of April events that we shared in last week’s email news. The 2016 Vegan Pancake Brunch Feed-In is not to be missed! Join us on Saturday, April 30 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the University Baptist Church at 1219 University Avenue SE in Minneapolis. The vegan pancakes and coffee will be free. You’re invited to bring a vegan breakfast dish to share. RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Aurora Farnham at aurora.farnham@exploreveg.org.
Also, we’re looking for a lot of volunteers for our 2016 Vegan Food Showcase. Join us on Monday, April 25 and help us share vegan food samples on campus at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. These food giveaways are a lot of fun because, well, everybody loves free food! It’s a very effective way to engage people in conversation and open their eyes to the compassionate choices that they can make.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Our Annual Banquet and Reception is coming up on Saturday, and we’re looking forward to this evening of compassionate fun, sponsored by The Herbivorous Butcher. If you’d like to join us for this special event, there is exactly one ticket left. Purchase it today before it’s gone!
Of course, most of our events don’t require a ticket. Here are a few upcoming opportunities to take action for animals and to feel the support of our local animal-friendly community:
Please check our website frequently for additional community events and volunteer opportunities. We’ve got more to come just around the corner!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
With the warmer weather comes more opportunities for outreach. If you’re passionate about protecting animals, join us through the spring and summer for a spectrum of leafleting and pay-per-view events. Here are a few upcoming opportunities:
For more information about these events or if you’d like to sign up to volunteer for a few hours, contact me at unny@exploreveg.org.
Our participation in the animal protection movement goes beyond our own personal lifestyle; it means reaching other people and sharing with them why these issues are important and how we can make a difference. But how do we do that in a way that’s effective?
If you’d like to develop your skills for this kind of outreach, please join us for our Volunteer Training Class on Saturday, May 14. It’s free to attend (and lunch is included), but preregistration is required. Register today and set yourself up to be the most effective animal advocate you can be.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
P.S. Join us for the party! Our 2016 Annual Banquet and Reception is coming up on April 9. Tickets for this gourmet vegan dinner and celebratory fundraiser are going fast. Reserve yours today!
If you were at our 7th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off last month, you know how good Paula and Nathan Huerkamp’s Vegan-Maker Chili was. Here’s the recipe. Top honors also went to Heather Liebswager, and good times were had by all. Here are some fun photos from the cook-off.
Our next big event is the 2016 Annual Banquet and Reception on Saturday, April 9. Thanks to the generosity of Betsy and Eric Born, you have an opportunity to win 2 tickets to attend. Here’s how to enter the raffle:
We’ll pick the winner on Monday, March 28 at noon CST. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this special CAA event — for free!
And if you’d like to purchase tickets, we’d love that too. Get them while they last and join us for a gourmet vegan meal, silent auction, and fun times spent with your compassionate community.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
If you’re vegan or vegetarian, you’ve probably heard this question at least once or twice. Do you ever feel unsure of how to respond? If so, we’ve got some tips on our blog for how to handle this situation in a way that expresses compassion for all concerned. Check it out!
While you’re there on our website, look around and you’ll see a variety of resources to keep you connected to the community and on the path to compassionate living. We’ve got a listing of upcoming events, an array of volunteer opportunities, an archive of plant-based recipes, a collection of informative articles, and (of course!) an option to donate.
Your participation and support is vital for our continued success as an organization and as a movement. CAA focuses on farmed animal advocacy here in the Twin Cities region, and we want to know that what we are doing is working for you. Our hope is that we are enabling you to be the best animal advocate that you can be, inspiring others to embrace their empathy and join our efforts to make this world a safe place for everyone, including animals.
Please let me know if there’s something more you’d like to see us doing. We would love your feedback. And we’d love to see you at the 2016 Annual Banquet and Reception on Saturday, April 9. Reserve your tickets today and join us for a gourmet vegan meal and more.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
You’re invited! Our 2016 Annual Banquet and Reception is coming up on Saturday, April 9 from 5:30 to 9:00pm at the Wellstone Center in St. Paul. Reserve your tickets today!
The banquet includes a gourmet vegan meal (with gluten-free options for both dinner and dessert), a silent auction, and an opportunity to spend the evening with our community of compassionate supporters. This event is sponsored by The Herbivorous Butcher, and the meal will feature some of their acclaimed meatless meats.
Proceeds from this event are used to fund our work speaking out for animals. Our programs focus on outreach, education, and community building and nurture a community of individuals who take action for animals in their everyday lives. The Annual Banquet is a fun way to offer your support for this mission.
Another way to show your support is to volunteer to help out at the banquet. We need help with setup, cleanup, food prep, and more. Let me know if you’d like to lend a hand.
Everyone is welcome to attend. Feel free to invite your friends and family to join you. Space is limited, so please reserve your tickets in advance. We look forward to seeing you there.
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Thanks to everyone who joined us for a fun-filled Vegan Chili Cook-Off. We had a great time and hope you did too. More compassionate fun awaits! Join us for a spectrum of events throughout the month of March and plan ahead for our Annual Banquet on April 9. Reserve your tickets today!
We look forward to seeing you at some of these events as we move from winter to spring.
- March Potluck: Fuel for Action and Inspiration
- Saturday, March 5, 1:00 – 3:00pm, CAA Community Space
- Thomas Goodman of Vegan Outreach will join us and offer some inspiring words of encouragement.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org.
- Leaflet with Vegan Outreach
- Minnesota Humane Lobby Day 2016
- Wednesday, March 16, 9:00am – 3:00pm, Christ Lutheran Church on Capital Hill
- Humane Lobby Day is organized by The Humane Society of the United States and gives humane-minded Minnesotans an opportunity to visit the state capitol and lobby their state senator and representative on bills affecting animals. It’s a fun and inspiring way to show your support for protecting Minnesota’s animals while spending time with other compassionate people.
- Register today! The $8 registration fee includes coffee and lunch. Registration closes on March 8.
- For more information, contact Christine Coughlin at ccoughlin@humanesociety.org.
- Tea, Cookies, & Conversation: How Vegan Is Vegan Enough?
- Saturday, March 12, 1:30 – 3:30pm, Powderhorn Park Community Center (multipurpose room)
- How “strict” do we need to be with our vegan lifestyle? What approach will be most sustainable for ourselves and also have the biggest impact for the animals? For our next edition of Tea, Cookies, & Conversation, we’ll be coming together as a community to openly discuss this somewhat controversial topic. The discussion will be co-moderated by AmyLeo Barankovich of Claim Humane and Justin Leaf, Communications & Events Coordinator for CAA.
- Vegan cookies and tea will be provided. If you’d like to bake a batch of vegan cookies for the event, email Justin at justin@exploreveg.org.
- RSVP on the Facebook event page or email Justin Leaf at justin@exploreveg.org.
- March Dine Out: Namaste Cafe
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
Join us for our 7th Annual Vegan Chili Cook-Off this Sunday, February 28 from 1pm to 4pm in the Great Hall of Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.
This event is free to attend and offers lots of fun stuff:
- Vegan chili galore! (Not to mention vegan cornbread and nondairy ice cream)
- Fun competition (Who will win?!)
- Your animal-friendly community (Hey, it’s a party!)
Spice up your dreary winter with an afternoon of vegan chili and good times. This is one of our most popular events of the year, and we welcome everyone, whether vegan, vegetarian, or omnivore. Bring your friends and family and share with them the fun of compassionate living!
For the animals,
Unny Nambudiripad
p.s. Wondering how to get to Coffman Union or where you can park once you get there? Check out these tips on the Twin Cities Veg Fest website.
